Lighten the Burdens of Another

 "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." 

— Charles Dickens

Your Hand Is An Extension of Your Heart

 "Your hand is an extension of your heart. 

Give it freely." 

- Unknown

Fill Your Cup with Sunshine and Laughter

Black Swallowtail Butterfly  

"Today, fill your cup of life 

with sunshine and laughter." 

-Dodinsky

Outside the Open Window

 “Outside the open window 

The morning air is all awash with angels.” 

― Richard Wilbur

Light and Shadow

 "For everything that lives is holy, 

 life delights in life." 

 - William Blake

Nature Restores Us

 "Remember that nature is your great restorer." 

~ Calvin Coolidge

Our view from today's walk  (Sept 23, 2024)

around Hethwood pond - 

1.6 miles

 

In Every Walk With Nature

 "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." 

 - John Muir

Male goldfinch harvesting seeds from the flowers.

Our walk today was along the Huckleberry trail but in the opposite direction of our normal Hethwood walk.  We started after church so it was quite hot.  

Our milage today -  1.6 miles.

Pileated Woodpecker

 "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." 

~ Havelock Ellis

Friday's bike ride (09-20-24) was 14 miles from Hiwassee to Barren Springs.

So far we are at 63.3 miles  of riding for the month.

Katydid Blends In

 "When you are kind to others, 

it not only changes you, it changes the world.”

 Harold S. Kushner

Grasshopper Grasps the Greenery

 "Never be so focused on what you're looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find." 

— Ann Patchett

Wildflower Wednesday Walk - September 18, 2024

 Jewelweed - The Hummingbirds like to hang out with this wildflower.

I did not see any today and think they may have begun their migration this week.

A purple wildflower - an aster I believe.

A large snapping turtle - always fun to see these big guys! 

Another view of the pond with a bit of fall showing.

Another 1 .6 miles walked today.

We saw Blue jays, Catbirds, Cardinals, and several squirrels and chipmunks.

And the groundhog and a cat was at our favorite coffee drinking spot.

Skipper and Lace

 “Learn to appreciate small quiet moments, the ocean, a walk on the beach, time alone, your health, your strength, your smile, your life.” 

Germany Kent

I always try to do this, but find myself able to appreciate the

"little things" even more since my retirement.

Trees Give Peace

 “Trees give peace to the souls of men.” 

 ― Nora Waln

Seen along the New River Trail during one of our rides earlier this summer. 

Hethwood Walk - Monday, September 16, 2024

 Leaves are starting to fall

    

You can see how dry everything is - we really need the rain.

A pretty gazebo along the path.

Our walk was again 1.6 miles and we observed the following:

a hummingbird - which is quite late for us

Bluejays, goldfinches, squirrel, ducks (you can see them in the gazebo pic) 2 snapping turtles.

At our coffee spot we saw the groundhog again and several crows

Deerfield Walk - Sunday, September 15, 2024

 After Church, we walked along Deerfield Trail.

We've been walking along this trail since for many many years and have named

these trees the "Dancing" Trees.

This creek along Deerfield Trail is very low and we need rain badly.

There is a tropical storm brewing and we are supposed to get a few inches over the next several days. 

Today we walked 1.5 miles

We saw 2 brown thrashers, a blue jay, and heard a cardinal and many other birds. 

Bike Ride - Saturday - September 14, 2024

A view from our bike ride today along the New River Trail 

 

Today, Saturday, September 14, 2024

we rode our bikes along the New River Trail in Pulaski, Virginia.

Today's ride was from Dora Junction to the Draper Mercantile and back.

8.2 miles

We saw 2 deer along the trail, many birds and a monarch butterfly along with many other butterflies. 

A recap of our rides so far in September:

Tuesday September 3, 2024 - 8.2 miles - Dora to Draper and back

Saturday, September 7, 2024 - 16.5 miles - Hiwassee to Lone Ash and back

Monday, September 9, 2024 - 8.2 miles Dora to Draper and back

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - 8.2 miles Draper to Hiwassee and back

Totals so far for September - 49.3 miles ridden.

Friday - September 13, 2024

 It was a cloudy day for our walk.

We saw a few snapping turtles again but only 1 duck and

no geese today.  Several squirrels and a chipmunk.

There was a lot of Blue Jay activity and we saw a Catbird and

another Hummingbird.  The Hummingbirds should be 

heading out soon.

The goldenrod is blooming so prettily.  When 

I got closer I saw this lovely patterned Locust Borer Beetle.

This Bald-faced Hornet was

another cool find on our walk.

The "Squiggly" drew me to this vine which I have identified as a Wild Grape Vine also known as riverbank grape or frost grape.

It was another great walk of 1.6 miles and a wonderful way to spend the morning.

Give Us Pleasure in the Flowers Today

 "Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers 

in the flowers today; 

And give us not to think so far away..." 

- Robert Frost

Common Buckeye Butterfly on Coneflower 

Thursday - September 12, 2024

A lovely sunrise to start the day 

 One of the 5 snapping turtles we saw on our walk around Hethwood Pond

Woolly Bear Caterpillar - First seen this year.

These little guys turn into Isabella Tiger Moths.

A view along Plantation Road.  You can see a bit of fall in the trees.  I'm afraid that due to our dry conditions this year our leaves may not be as pretty as most autumns here.

During our walk today we saw:

5 snapping turtles

3 or more painted turtles

Ducks on the pond and Geese flying over the pond

A hummingbird near the path where there is an abundance of jewelweed  

A Woolly Bear Caterpillar - aka Woolly Worm

Multiple Squirrels, Cardinals, and I heard several Blue Jays

We walked 1.6 miles

After our walk we had coffee at a spot where we see a bit of wildlife and saw a groundhog and a feral cat.  The groundhog and cat were very close to each other and didn't seem to be bothered by each other at all.

Great Advice from Mark Twain

 “Give every day the chance to become 

the most beautiful day of your life.” 

― Mark Twain

Everything You Look At Can Become A Fairy Tale

"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch."

 ~ Hans Christian Andersen

A Tree along the Huckleberry Trail during one of 

our walks.

Cape May Warbler

 "Wake up with a smile and go after life ....

Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it." 

~ Joe Knapp

Wild World of Webs

 "Joy in looking and comprehending 

is nature's most beautiful gift." 

~ Albert Einstein

Print Available - HERE 

Long-tailed Skipper - Another View

 "My wonder button is being pushed all the time." 

- Carl Sagan

From my first sighting of a long-tailed skipper on 08-22-24 

Print Available - HERE 

Always Take Time To Smell The Flowers

 "Always take time to smell the flowers, and let it fill you with beauty, and rediscover that sense of wonder." 

- Louis Schwartzberg

A Different Perspective - Female Cardinal

 “The best portion of a good man's life: 

his little, nameless unremembered acts 

of kindness and love.”

 ― William Wordsworth

Tiny Changes - Monarch Caterpillar

 “A tiny change today brings a 

dramatically different tomorrow.”

 - Richard Bach 

 This image captured on September 5, 2024 documents my first of year (2024) sighting of a Monarch Caterpillar - found along the Huckleberry Trail between Plantation Road and Hethwood. 

I was truly fortunate to have captured his shadow too!

The Voice of the Garden

 “The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.” 

– Elizabeth Lawrence

Bumblebee on Blue Cardinal Flower 

Scenes of September

 "It was September, 

and there was a crackly feeling to the air." 

— Carolyn Parkhurst

Print Available - HERE 

Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly

 “If you smile when you see a butterfly, 

you have happiness in your soul.” 

— Diana Cooper

Print Available - HERE 

Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns is a deciduous, herbaceous, perennial shrub with bright green leaves and greenish flowers. The flowers are enclosed within long-lasting and bright bracts of red or yellow. The plant is loose in form, spiny and irregularly shaped, with thick, black spines and its historic presence in the Middle East led to the belief by some that the stems of this plant had been used in Christ's crown of thorns, hence the common name. In its country of origin (Madagascar) the plant will grow to 5 or 6 feet tall; however, in the United States, it typically grows to 3 feet, or 2 feet when grown as a houseplant. 

The above information is sourced from: 

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/euphorbia-milii/ 

Print Available - HERE 

Wildflower and Quote

 

Monarch Butterfly Lays Eggs on Milkweed

 “When the spirit of nature touches us, 

our hearts turn into a butterfly!” 

— Mehmet Murat Ildan